Character Arcs (was: Trusting characters)

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 119003


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> 
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Smythe, Boyd T 
> {FLNA}" <boyd.t.smythe at f...> wrote:
> 
> > *Lupin is a werewolf, but that little character flaw has already 
> put Harry in danger in the endgame of one book, so I think we're 
> done with that. My feeling is that when in human form, he is a 
> truly good guy who'll help DD/Harry in whatever way they want in 
> the endgame. Seems to fit her theme of not judging a book by its 
> cover. And I'm not sure how much we'll see of Lupin in the final 
> two books anyway. He's not necessary to the plot anymore 
> unless Jo weaves him back in somehow.
> 
> <snip>
> > So what does it all mean? Well, instead of worrying about 
> whether Lupin will turn out to be ESE, if we look at possible 
> betrayal scenarios like this, we read the other clues that JKR 
left > for us. No one else need be ESE. They just have to follow 
their > established character arcs for us to see their futures, and 
> perhaps Harry's. 

<snip>
> 
> Pippin:
> > So far none of us have been all that great at guessing what JKR 
> is going to do with her characters, not that it's ever stopped 
me.  I > was amused that Kneasy put Pettigrew at 50/50 but Lupin at 
> 90/10 -- surely these two should affect one another? If Pettigrew 
> is going to choose good after all, then another Marauder needs 
> to choose bad.

> James and Sirius are out of the running, pace 
> Kneasy, as neither of them is available to be fed to the 
> dementors. If Peter escapes, then I'm afraid Lupin is doomed.


Renee:
I fail to see the logic in this. Even if Peter is redeemed in the 
end - and I actually hope he will be - he still went bad in the 
first Voldemort war. But more to the point, it's no law that one of 
the four Marauders has to end up irredeemably evil at the end of the 
series, or that if another character will be fed to the Dementors, 
it has to be a remaining Marauder.       
 
In a way, all four of them were flawed. 
- James was arrogant and cocksure, and not just at school (He and 
Sirius thought they could solve the SK problem between them.)
- Sirius was reckless and sometimes vicious
- Lupin is a moral coward, afraid to lose people's appreciation
- Peter is a sycophant and a turncloak
Their friendship didn't survive the first Voldemort War, and I think 
this is part of the function of the backstory: to show how an 
apparently tightly woven fabric of friendship can rip apart under 
strain. It will be very interesting to see how this theme will be 
handled for the generation of the Trio (or perhaps the Sextet). More 
interesting, IMO, than looking for another traitor in the previous 
generation.       

Pippin:
> As you say, if  Lupin isn't evil, then JKR has run out of things 
to do with him, and I don't think she has. That detachment of his 
> has to be trouble. "Indifference and neglect often do much more 
> damage than outright dislike..." said Dumbledore. That has to 
> play out.

Renee:
Very well possible. Lupin certainly seems capable of messing up 
things (again) by an act of omission. But JKR could also have him 
overcome his flaws instead and turn him into a better werewolf. 
And maybe he'll take over Snape's Occlumency lessons :)     

Pippin:
> I've assumed that Lupin would have to  hate his former friends to 
> turn against them. But what if he only had to become detached?  
> We've certainly seen lots of examples of that in canon. All those 
> times he speaks "lightly" or "evenly" about things which ought to 
> be very upsetting,  we've taken it that he's concealing his 
> feelings. But what if he isn't? What if he's detaching himself?

Renee:
Detachment seems more in character for Lupin than fierce hatred. But 
as he doesn't always succesfully hide his feelings - occasionally, 
Harry registers something - we can assume he's not really devoid of 
emotions.

Renee